By Zweli Martin Dlamini

LOBAMBA: Chief Mgwagwa Gamedze, the Chief Executive Officer(CEO) in the King’s Office might take over as Acting Prime Minister when the Gazetted Cabinet term of office comes to an end next week, in what royal insiders described as a ‘political norm’.

King Mswati previously appointed his CEOs to act as Heads of Government after dissolving Cabinet, the last King’s Office CEO who acted in the position is the late Vincent Mhlanga.

But a constitutional expert who spoke to this publication on Saturday evening said “there’s no where in the Constitution where the King is empowered to appoint his CEO as the Acting Prime Minister”. 

The expert said, it would be a constitutional blunder on its own to create a leadership vacuum in Government after dissolving the Cabinet.

“There’s no where in the Constitution where the King is empowered to appoint his CEO as Acting Prime Minister. Yintfo yakhe nje uyatentela. Under normal circumstances, there should be a care-taker government, certain Ministers must remain behind because constitutionally, they are still in office until the next government takes over”, said the constitutional expert.

Reached for comments by this Swaziland News, King Mswati’s Spokesperson Percy Simelane did not commit whether the CEO in the King’s Office Chief Mgwagwa Gamedze would be appointed as Acting PM or not.

“Until there is an instrument to that effect the take over in question continues to be a wait and see.We have not seen any instrument to that effect yet”, said the King’s Spokesperson.